Device for quick connection of hydraulic tubings

ABSTRACT

In the process of soil excavating work or like work with the use of excavators and loaders, it is becoming more usual to use different hydraulically functioning implements. It is often necessary to exchange these implements several times during a working day, necessitating the driver to connect and disconnect the hydraulic hoses involved manually, which can be a time-consuming task and one which is encumbered with the risk of oil spilling from the hoses and generally soiling the clothing of the workman involved, tools and the surrounding ground. The hydraulic hoses that hang loosely from the removed implement are easily damaged and foreign particles and contaminating particles are able to enter the unprotected and to simplify connection of hydraulic hose couplings (8, 9) to different implements having hydraulic functions when using an implement quick-coupling arrangement (1) fitted to an excavator, digger or like machine, the couplings have been positioned in a protected place in the quick-coupling arrangement (1) itself and the connection is arrangement so the when the movable part (6) of the quick-coupling moves in an implement coupling or implement uncoupling direction, the hydraulic couplings which are operative in powering movement of the implement will be connected or disconnected at the same time.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a quick-coupling arrangement foreffecting connection of an implement to heavy-duty machinery such as anexcavating machine, digger or like machine and simultaneously connectinga power system to the implement.

BACKGROUND ART

In the process of soil excavating work or like work with the use ofexcavators and loaders, it is becoming more usual to use differenthydraulically functioning implements, such as slope shovels,special-duty shovels, percussion hammers and pallet handling forks. Itis often necessary to exchange these implements several times during aworking day, necessitating the driver to connect and disconnect thehydraulic hoses involved manually, which can be a time-consuming taskand one which is encumbered with the serious risk of oil spilling fromthe hoses and generally soiling the clothing of the workman involved,tools and the surrounding ground. The hydraulic hoses that hang looselyfrom the removed implement are easily damaged and foreign particles andcontaminating particles are able to enter the unprotected fittings. Whenthe implement concerned is next fitted to the machine, these impuritieswill be drawn into the hydraulic system of the machine and may causeserious damage to the hydraulic system, which is often very sensitive,resulting in unnecessary damage and operational breakdowns. The majorityof present-day excavators are often fitted with a shovel quick-couplingarrangement which includes a mechanical or a hydraulic locking means.

In order to enable a power or drive system to be connected automaticallyto a working implement fitted to an excavator, digger or like machine,hydraulic quick-coupling devices are often used for coupling andconnecting the implements directly from the driving cabin during theexcavation work. In order to enable an implement to be coupled quicklyand readily to the excavator while, at the same time, connecting a powerfluid supply to the implement, that part of the machine which ispivotally connected to the digging arm and the shovel or implement linkis provided with one or more connecting and coupling parts, for instancefemale-type hydraulic couplings. The implement to be coupled to thispart is provided with corresponding male-type hydraulic couplings.Subsequent to having fitted the implement, for instance to one side ofthe part and having rotated the implement so as to couple the other sideof the implement firmly to the other side of the part, the male andfemale hydraulic coupling elements are brought together simultaneously,such as to hold the coupling elements together by the connection of theimplement to the excavator part and the locking of the implement to thepart. Coupling of an implement to an excavator need not be dependent onhydraulic functions, but may be accomplished purely mechanically.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

With the intention of providing better protection for hydraulic hosecouplings and to simplify the connection of such couplings to differentimplements having hydraulic functions with the aid of an implementquick-coupling fitted to an excavator, digger or like machine, thecouplings have been positioned in a protected place in thequick-coupling arrangement itself and the connection is arranged so thatwhen the quick-coupling moves in an implement coupling or implementuncoupling direction, the hydraulic couplings which are operative inpowering movement of the implement will be connected or disconnected atthe same time.

Thus, a driver is able to connect or disconnect an implement directlyfrom the driving cabin of an excavating machine and the hydraulic systemwill be connected or disconnected at the same time as the quick-couplingis used to connect or disconnect the implement.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is in accordance with the invention a side view of the upper partof an implement, for instance a digging shovel having a hydraulicconnection on the roof of the shovel, and a digging arm which isconnected to a digging shovel.

FIG. 2 illustrates in accordance with the invention a shovelquick-coupling which incorporates hose couplings.

BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The illustrated implement quick-coupling arrangement for excavatingmachines in accordance with the invention includes a hydraulicconnection and is manoeuvered hydraulically. However, the illustratedquick-coupling arrangement 1 may be manoeuvered manually orelectromagnetically. When an implement, such as a bucket or shovel, isto be coupled to an excavator that is provided with a digging arm 12, afixed semi-circular recess 2 on the quick-coupling device 1 of theexcavator is brought into abutment with a transverse forward bolt 3 onthe shovel attachment. A piston-cylinder device 4 is then activated sothat the coupling will be aligned with the other transverse rearwardbolt 5 of the shovel attachment. When the coupling is correctly aligned,a movable semi-circular recess provided on a locking mechanism 6 in thecoupling is moved towards the second transverse bolt 5 with the aid ofat least one hydraulic piston-cylinder device 7 or at least onemechanical lever, so that the quick-coupling having the recess 2 on thelock mechanism 6 can then be fully connected with the bolt 5 andtherewith affix the shovel or bucket to the shovel attachment. Thequick-coupling arrangement includes one or more hydraulic hosecouplings, wherein a female part of one hydraulic hose coupling isfixedly mounted on a movable part which accompanies the movement of thelocking mechanism 6 in the quick-coupling arrangement. Hydraulicquick-couplings 8 may be placed on both sides of the hydraulicpiston-cylinder device 7 within the quick-coupling so as to be protectedto the best possible extent.

Corresponding hose coupling parts or implement (shovel) coupling parts,male parts 9, are mounted firmly on the implement, e.g. the bucket orshovel, with the aid of an attachment 11 such that the coupling partswill take positions that are suitable for receiving the female part 8when the quick-coupling arrangement 1 is firmly locked to the bucket orshovel. As the locking mechanism 6 of the quick-coupling 1 arrangementis activated so as to hold the bucket or shovel firmly, female parts 8are, at the same time, moved in parallel over male parts 9 and areautomatically locked in a fully inserted position by locking mechanisms10 incorporated in the female couplings. Coupling of the implement andcoupling of the hydraulics are thus effected at one and the same time.When the bucket, shovel or other relevant implement is to bedisconnected, the locking mechanism 6 of the quick-coupling arrangementis activated in the opposite direction and, at the same time, thelocking mechanism 10 of the female part 8 is released and the femalepart moved from its coupled position, therewith disengaging theimplement and the hydraulic coupling simultaneously.

As a result of enabling the implement and the hydraulic system to becoupled simultaneously, the implement need not be provided with actualhydraulic hoses but can be connected directly to a power cylinder or thelike while the hydraulic connections in the shovel quick-couplingarrangement obtain a small movement area and are well protected fromabove and from the side of the actual implement coupling. When thelocking mechanism moves in a straight line so as to grip and accuratelyfix the rear implement bolt, the hydraulic hose couplings will moveforwards under power and will accompany the movement in parallel,thereby achieving extremely good alignment and guiding of the couplingstowards the couplings on the implement, thereby connecting the implementhydraulically to the excavator in a reliable and safe fashion.

I claim:
 1. An arrangement for quickly coupling a working implement to aheavy-duty machine and simultaneously connecting a hydraulic powersystem to the implement, wherein a coupling arrangement, which functionsto lock and hold the implement, carries at least one first working fluidcoupling means, wherein, as the coupling arrangement locks and holdssaid implement, the first coupling means is connected with a secondcoupling means mounted on the implement so as to connect said workingfluid coupling means with said implement, wherein the first fluidcoupling means is fixedly mounted on a movable part of the couplingarrangement, the movable part being connected to and accompanies themovement of a locking and holding mechanism, and wherein the secondfluid coupling means is fixedly connected to said implement, wherein, asthe locking and holding mechanism is correctly aligned for correctcoupling, said locking and holding mechanism is arranged to move, tolock and hold the implement, and at the same time the first fluidcoupling means is arranged to move in parallel with the last-mentionedmovement towards the second fluid coupling means to connect the firstand second fluid coupling means to each other.
 2. An arrangementaccording to claim 1, including means for moving the movable part toconnect the implement to or disconnect the implement from the heavy-dutymachine by the locking and holding mechanism while at the same timeconnect an operating fluid source to or disconnect an operating fluidsource from the implement by the fluid coupling means.
 3. An arrangementaccording to claim 2, wherein said means for moving the movable part iscomprised of at least one hydraulic piston-cylinder device or mechanicallever connected to the locking and holding mechanism and carrying theoperating fluid coupling means via the movable part.
 4. The combinationof an accessory for an excavator and a quick-connect coupling devicewhich is attachable to an arm of the excavator for connecting theaccessory to the excavator,said accessory including first and secondmounting means, and a first hydraulic lines having first hydrauliccoupling means, and said coupling device including third and fourthmounting means and second hydraulic lines having second hydrauliccoupling means connected to said third mounting means, and drive meansfor moving the third mounting means relative to the fourth mountingmeans, said third and fourth mounting means of said coupling devicebeing cooperable with said first and second mounting means of saidaccessory and said second hydraulic coupling means of said couplingdevice being cooperable with said first hydraulic coupling means of saidaccessory such that during connection said fourth mounting means of saidcoupling means can be pivotally connected to said second mounting meansof said accessory and thereafter said coupling device can be pivotedabout said second mounting means until said third mounting means of saidcoupling means becomes aligned with said first mounting means of saidaccessory, whereafter said drive means moves said third mounting meansinto engagement with said first mounting means to fixedly couple saidaccessory to said coupling device, said second hydraulic coupling meanssimultaneously moving against and locking with said first couplingmeans, thereby enabling drive fluid to be delivered from said couplingmeans to said accessory.
 5. The combination as defined in claim 4wherein said drive means comprises a hydraulic piston/cylinder device.6. The combination as defined in claim 4, wherein said first and secondmounting means comprise spaced parallel bolts fixedly attached to saidaccessory, and wherein said third and fourth mounting means comprisespaced elements defining recesses that can respectively fit against andaround said bolts.